Cybersecurity group flags online risks after Banga school tragedy

• Courtesy of PICSPro

The Philippine Institute of Cyber Security Professionals (PICSPro) has called for stronger safeguards for young people in digital spaces following the tragic incident at Banga National High School in South Cotabato.

PICSPro Chairman and Founding President Angel Redoble mourned the young lives lost and extended condolences to the victims’ families, the injured, their classmates, teachers, and the entire school community.

The cybersecurity group said the incident comes amid a series of violent incidents involving students and schools, underscoring the need to examine warning signs, vulnerabilities, and emerging threats that may contribute to such events.

PICSPro also raised concerns over harmful online environments, including online radicalization, cyber-enabled cognitive grooming, violent digital communities, and other forms of manipulation targeting vulnerable young people.

“While investigations must establish the facts, reports of possible online influences remind us that digital spaces can shape behavior, beliefs, and relationships in ways adults may not immediately see,” PICSPro said.

The group stressed that parents play a critical role in protecting young people but said the responsibility should not fall on families alone.

It called on schools to recognize warning signs early, online platforms to strengthen safeguards for minors, and law enforcement and government agencies to urgently address harmful online networks.

“We must ask not only how a young person gained access to a weapon, but also: How many young people may already be struggling, manipulated, groomed, radicalized, or drawn into harmful online communities without the adults around them realizing it?” PICSPro said.

PICSPro called for a “whole-of-society response” and reaffirmed its commitment to cybersecurity awareness, digital resilience, early intervention, and protecting children in both physical and digital spaces.

“We must not wait for another tragedy before we act. Prevention must begin before the warning signs become headlines,” the group said.